Impenetrable: Part I
by Ancalagar the Dragon Lord
Summary: It has been sixteen years since the death of Harry Potter; what is left of the resistance against Voldemort is now run by Ron and Hermione, but disaster looms as Voldemort discovers the existence of Lily Potter, the daughter of Harry and Ginny. Post-HBP.
1. Prologue

Prologue

She was dreadfully tired and weak, and her mind was in turmoil. She sensed where emotion and skill should be, but neither came, as though some obstruction blocked their path. She was trapped in darkness, always remembering things of her past that previously had haunted her, but could no longer emotionally affect her. She had nothing, no anger, no happiness, no grief, and no powers. She only had an overwhelming sense of purpose that told her again and again that she needed to escape this state.

But she could not get out.

She had no power of feelings or of motion. She could only see and hear, or so she believed. She could see nothing but darkness, and could hear only a dull, toneless voice that would chill her had she any ability to feel fear, a voice muttering a dark language she did not understand.

She was trapped, and she could not get out.

********

He was neither dead nor alive, but he existed somehow. His mind was also in turmoil, but he had the power to move on the earth and to speak and to perform magic. Yet where emotion should be, there was only a black, gaping hole. He saw and he remembered, but his memories could not emotionally affect him. Instead he had an overwhelming sense of purpose that always told him that he needed to escape this state.

With help, he could get out, but first he needed her.

He had no emotion, so he felt no discourage when he learned of her state. All he felt was a need to find her captor. And there her captor was, and he approached the dark, cloaked figure, which started to back away quietly.

*********

There was a change.

Somehow the previously toneless voice was now crying out in what her memories told her was terror, but she had no power to connect to this. Still, she was curious. She did not know the horrible, cloaked figure she remembered could feel fear, only that it lived in darkness. And she had been trapped in its shadow for a very, very long time.

The voice had changed from toneless to terrified. It began speaking very fast in its dark language, but she could tell it was rambling. Perhaps this change meant a change in her mind.

Perhaps she could be freed.

Her captor could go no further. He reached under the foul thing's hood and his armored fingers closed around its decaying throat. He could tell it was exercising all its powers against him, but they had no effect. He had no emotions to lose. The captor could sense so, and he saw that it knew that its time was at an end. He raised his other hand and reached towards the creature's mouth. He then used some energy he had been given to pull something from its jaws, and he tried to connect to its mind.

He could sense the captor's fear and demanded that it give up its captive. iI could erase you from existence. I could make you wish you never came to be, you and your foul kind./i

The captor relented.

********

A new voice spoke suddenly, majestic and cold at the same time, but not to her.

_What have you done with her?_

The first voice, her captor, actually whimpered and she was faintly surprised. She did not understand its answer, but whoever owned the second voice did.

_I could erase you from existence. I could make you wish you never came to be, you and your foul kind. Give her up, or I will destroy you._

Her captor evidently knew that the second voice was not lying. She knew every word it spoke to be true. There was no purpose in lying. But it also registered to her that the second voice was trying to free her. So she said to her captor, _Let me go._

_Let her go._

Her captor muttered incoherently, and the second voice began chanting in another language, a powerful language, and she knew in an instant that she'd be freed.

The darkness faded, and her vision changed to a surrounding of trees and moss. She felt nothing, but she could see that she was in some sort of spectral existence by a large pond surrounded by moisture and rainforest.

A shadow, humanoid in form, appeared at the bank, a semi-transparent spirit, and it dipped its dark hand in the pond. The water could not feel his presence, for his hand didn't make a single ripple. But he muttered something in the same powerful language, and she saw some silver energy move from the water into him. He then stood, looking much stronger, much less transparent. He turned towards her, and she looked into a pair of green eyes that shone from his invisible face. She could feel the hole where emotion should be, and knew that she should be feeling terror, looking into this unknown shadow, but purpose told her she needed to do as he asked. He then spoke.

_It is incredible, isn't it? The sense of purpose you feel. I likewise have no emotion, and therefore only know what needs to be done. I would have left you to your captor, had I not seen any purpose in freeing you._

She would have felt indignant, if she could feel. But all she said in response was, "Who are you?"

_I am called many things,_ he said. _Some call me Gepanzerter, some Sorcierdarmure. My enemies call me Periculosus, but those I trust call me Invius._

"So what is your actual name?"

_My name is not important._

She paused, trying to work out this information, and thinking about his appearance. She had never seen anything like this shadow, and so she asked, "Are you a spirit?"

_I am a Riven Soul, as are you; alive and yet not, divided, incomplete._

"What happened to you?"

_My heart is gone. That is all you need to know. You, however, are your mind, which has been separated from your heart and your breath. You cannot be returned to your free state until all three elements of your soul are reunited._

She asked, "Could you help me?"

_I can, _he said. _I'll end your curse if you swear to end mine afterwards._

"How can I free you of your curse if you won't tell me what it is?"

His gaze penetrated her, and he said, _The answer to that will find you. Do you agree to end my curse?_

The sense of purpose rose. There was no purpose in not doing so, and every purpose in doing so. She felt no fear or apprehension in vowing to help him, and so she could only agree.

"Yes," she said. "I swear to end your curse if you end mine."

_I hold you to that vow._

********

He broke the connection, and sensed that she had fallen into a slumber. Her mind was stored in a sapphire phial the Laerenmathi had crafted, and this he stowed in his sack, and headed north, to where his sense of purpose prodded him.

The lost talisman, which he knew existed somewhere, was the only thing he could feel. If it had been destroyed, his curse would have long since ended, but not in the way it needed to end. He would now be dead if it had been destroyed. He could only die upon its destruction. He needed that talisman. It was essential to the continuation of his life as it should be.

He was neither dead nor alive, but he somehow existed. His mind was in turmoil, but he had the power to move on the earth and to speak and to perform magic. Purpose told him that he needed to escape this state, and with help he could do so.

_This story is an idea I came up with prior to the release of Book 7, so it disregards "Deathly Hallows" entirely. It takes place twenty-four years after the end of "Half-Blood Prince." Sorry, but Voldemort still has not been defeated. Leave reviews! I love to hear back from readers. _


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The morning's sunlight streamed in through the open window and settled upon the peaceful form of a teenage girl with dark red hair, sound asleep on a soft mattress situated in the corner, next to which a small bedside table had been placed. A moving photograph was set next to the lamp there, which showed a young bespectacled man with messy black hair standing next to a beautiful young woman with flaming red hair, one of his arms around her shoulders.

In the opposite corner of the room was erected a small bookshelf containing numerous volumes of fiction and history, and beside this shelf a cherry wood desk was set up with a few sketchbooks on one side and a pen lay upon a half finished letter reading:

_Dear Remus,_

_Thank you very much for the new writing set you have sent me, which I am now using for this letter. I have been in need of one for some time now. We missed you at my birthday dinner last week, but I understand that things have been busy for the Order lately._

_Things are going just about the same here as they always have. Yesterday Dr. Grobschmied decided to start teaching me about the wars of the early 20th century in greater detail than before, and he seems to be focusing on the connections between the magic and non-magic wars. So far what he has to say is absolutely fascinating, and I wish he could continue the lessons more regularly, but today he has to go to a meeting with Captain Grimrook and the other goblin guards._

_Hermione tells me that the towns on the northern Belgian border--_

But the letter did not continue from this point. Above the desk a ticking clock hung from the wall, the hour hand pointing at the eight, and its minute hand was close to the 12. As the sunlight grew brighter, and the clock struck eight, the girl stirred and turned over, taking in the scent of dew and pine trees that permeated the air flooding in through the window. She then sat up and stretched her back out a little, before blinking at the sunlight that lit up her bright green eyes. This girl's name was Lily Ginevra Potter.

A second smell wafted its way through her door, one of bacon and eggs, and then a voice shouted from the kitchen downstairs, "Ron, that's not all for you!"

Lily smirked as she heard her uncle make an irritated retort, before she got up and pulled a sweater over her pajamas before quitting the room, knowing that she'd better get to the kitchen quickly before Ron ate the rest of the breakfast Hermione had clearly prepared.

There was only one person seated at the table when Lily entered the dining room, a small elf seated in a high chair with a pencil-like nose and a face that was slowly starting to wrinkle, who nodded at her, and said in a high-pitched voice, "Good morning, Lily!"

"Morning, Dobby," she returned. "Feeling better today?"

Dobby nodded. "Hungry too, and by the looks of things, both of us only just came in time."

They both laughed as Ron Weasley suddenly ran from the kitchen, and his wife appeared in the doorway brandishing a rolling pin at him.

"I don't understand how you have sustained the same appetite you had at Hogwarts for more than twenty years!" Hermione shouted. "Don't you ever stop eating?"

"But your cooking is so good that I can't resist!" Ron said innocently.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Thank you for your kind compliments. But no more for you until the rest of us have had some too. And that includes Captain Grimrook when he comes downstairs, and Firenze if he shows up!"

Without another word, Hermione disappeared into the kitchen. Ron grinned and sat down next to Lily. "It iis/i really good, although it always benefits to suck up to the cook."

"When did you get back?" asked Lily.

"Last night, after you went to bed."

"And what's been going on in the outside world?"

"As busy as usual." Ron reached for the jug of orange juice and poured himself a glass. "Belgian forces still holding back the Death Eater advance, Aberforth spent the whole three days shouting about the stupidity of the magical governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Tonks smashed one of Fred's prototypes, for which he tried to hex her but got hexed instead."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"So there's no change in the situation?" asked Dobby.

"Nope, although it's only a matter of time before the Blackrobes overwhelm the Belgians. There's just not enough of them to continue this for much longer."

"And what's the Order trying to do about it?"

"Putting it simply, they're trying to persuade France and Germany to help Belgium, but both countries are taking a long time to get their act together." Ron downed the orange juice, then started talking to Dobby about procedures among the elfish guards.

********

"Benedicht Grobschmied's arrived, Abe."

Aberforth Dumbledore looked up from his coffee and raised his bushy gray eyebrows at Tonks, who was followed into the office by the stout form of a elderly goblin with light-gray hair around his round, balding head, with white sideburns growing in from of his leafy ears. He was clad in a dark green frock coat and cream-colored trousers, and his neck was hidden by a thick, white cravat.

"Good morning, Mr. Dumbledore," Grobschmied greeted warmly. "It is the right time and day?"

Aberforth nodded. "You are most welcome at the Sorcerer's Hollow, Dr. Grobschmied. Do sit down."

Grobschmied took his seat in front of the desk. "So what was I summoned for? A report on progress in rebuilding the Partisan force? I shall summon my nephew Rok Grimrook for details concerning that topic."

"No need," said Aberforth. "I know that you have regained much of your former strength, though perhaps with exception to the espionage."

Grobschmied's smile faded a little. "Unfortunately, we cannot possibly replace that. Not unless you have some means of bringing Harry Potter back from the dead."

"I wish we could," said Tonks from the door. "It would bolster morale around here quite a bit."

"What are you doing standing there?" demanded Grobschmied. He indicated the chair next to him. "Come and have a seat!"

Tonks smiled, and took the seat. The goblin nodded at her and then returned his gaze to Aberforth. "Yes, apart from that, I am sure that the Partisans will be strong enough to return to battle in a matter of weeks. There have been many new recruits over the years from the village as goblin children grow older, and the latest of them are almost finished training."

"How old are they?"

Grobschmied frowned as he thought back. "Rok would know, but I believe the youngest is thirty-eight years old, which is about the equivalent to nineteen for humans."

Aberforth nodded. "I'm glad to hear that you're rebuilding has been successful. But the Death Eaters appear to have been just as successful."

"I heard," said Grobschmied, his pleasant manner fading into seriousness. "The time is ripe, I suppose. How soon do you think the attack will come?"

"All the intelligence indicates that the Death Eaters are beginning to infiltrate the Belgian ministry, just as they did with the Netherlands." Aberforth leaned back in his chair and scowled. "Not that the Minister cares to notice! Must every magical government in the world be controlled by dunderheads?"

Grobschmied smiled. "Now, Aberforth, there are a few Ministers of Magic who aren't dunderheads. I'd approve of Minister Gutenberg and President Stokli of Switzerland, for instance."

"I trust your judgment," said Aberforth irritably, "but despite Partisan-cum-goblin claims to the contrary, you are not omniscient."

"I'd hardly claim to be!" cried Grobschmied waving his hand dismissively. "And despite the Order's claims to the contrary, your brother wasn't omniscient either."

Aberforth ignored this last statement. "The point remains… the Death Eaters are sure to start the invasion the moment they sabotage Belgian protocols enough to effectively hamstring their officials. It appears to their signature move."

"I'll alert the rest of the Partisans," said Grobschmied. "And whether the Belgians want assistance or not, we'll be ready to send forces to Belgium before long."

Aberforth voiced his thanks. "I've already got several Order members leading a guerilla force there, and we could use the assistance."

"You have it," said Grobschmied resolutely. "Now show me every detail of the happenings on the Belgian front."

********

It was the first clear night since her birthday the week before, and Lily decided it was as good a night as any to try out the telescope Dr. Grobschmied had given her. So she packed up the telescope and its tripod, explained to Hermione her intentions, and then carried the set down the winding forest path from the Tower to the harbor, which she decided was the best place to have a look at the stars.

This she chose because apart from the farmland on the other side of the island, and the stone circle at the highest point above sea level (both of which were off-limits), the harbor offered the clearest view of the constellations, which she had studied ever since she was very young.

The sentry did not bother Lily, who habitually visited the docks to watch sunsets. His presence, along with the peaceful environment of the harbor, was a constant reminder of the safety and comfort of Goblynsrefuge, which, as the most heavily protected landmass in the world, ever remained the last safe place in existence.

The history of Goblynsrefuge remained relatively unknown to most of the world, though Lily supposed its identity as a hiding place for goblins would end if they ever pulled out of the war against Voldemort. That identity was already evident in its name. From her history lessons with Dr. Grobschmied, Lily knew that Goblynsrefuge had served as headquarters for goblin rebellions ever since the days of Emeric the Evil.

As such, Goblynsrefuge was protected by hundreds of goblin enchantments. It was said to be more secure than even Gringotts, where many of the Partisans came from. As Lily understood it, roughly speaking, there were only two ways to get to Goblynsrefuge: by boat, or by simply slipping on what the Partisans called a Portring (a ring with enchantments similar to a Portkey). The Partisans kept a firm account on all the Portrings, and only the top Partisans (Ron, Hermione, or Dr. Grobschmied) and senior Order members (Aberforth Dumbledore, Remus Lupin, and Kingsley Shacklebolt) were authorized to give Portrings to anyone. Even then, a visitor could only appear at the harbor, which was watched by the Forest Guard at all hours of the day and night.

Travel to Goblynsrefuge by boat was also nearly impossible, because one could only successfully navigate a ship there if he already knew where to find it.

Likewise, there were only two ways to leave Goblynsrefuge: by boat, and by Portkey, which only worked inside the stone circle.

But these security measures also caused the harbor to remind Lily of the enormous limitations that she had lived under her whole life. The Partisans were an extremely distrustful resistance, and so much effort was put into protective measures that while Goblynsrefuge was certainly the last safe place in the world, it wasn't always a free place.

Lily was rather rudely reminded of the many rules and regulations of the Partisans on her birthday. She had been most disappointed when Remus Lupin was unable to make it to the party Hermione had put together, so much that she had made a futile request to Ron.

"What if we had the party at the Order's headquarters?" she had asked him, knowing what the answer would be.

"No," said Ron. "We can't have you outside this island until you are of age and a proficient duellist."

"Ron, there's not going to be an attack on the Order headquarters."

"I'm taking no chances," he countered. "Voldemort does not know of your existence, and it is going to stay that way for as long as possible."

"And why should I be of interest to Voldemort?" snapped Lily. "What have I done to him in the past sixteen years? Nothing! Because that's all I've been doing on this rock for sixteen years!"

Ron hadn't replied to this. He never did. Lily knew that it wasn't because he couldn't think of a response to this persistent question, but because he wasn't willing to tell her. All Lily could surmise was that it had something to do with her long-dead father. She knew perfectly well that Harry Potter had been Voldemort's greatest enemy after Albus Dumbledore died. She knew the stories; she had heard them all ever since her childhood: the Philosopher's Stone, the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets, the Tri-Wizard Tournament… she was familiar with them.

Lily supposed that Voldemort might consider her to be a threat as Harry Potter's daughter, but she couldn't imagine what warranted these rather extreme security measures she'd had to follow ever since she learned to walk and talk.

A sudden flash of blue light nearby startled Lily out of her reverie, and she turned to see Dr. Grobschmied appear about twelve feet from her. Upon seeing her in the corner with her telescope, he called out, "Ah, here's trouble!"

He approached, and saluted to Lily playfully. "Permission to come aboard, ma'am?"

Lily returned the salute. "Permission granted."

Grobschmied took a seat on the wooden bench beside her, and asked, "So, found anything?"

"Yeah, I've got the Andromeda Galaxy in my finder."

The other stood up and strained his neck to look into the eyepiece. "That's a pretty view, isn't it? The only spiral galaxy that's visible without a telescope, because it's the closest. And it's on a collision course with our own galaxy."

Lily nodded. "A pity that none of us will be there to see it."

Grobschmied smirked. "Good thing Hermione decided against having Firenze teach you about the night sky. You'd know the constellations, all right, but you wouldn't be learning things like that."

"If centaurs are still around in a billion years, how will the inevitable change in star positions and the visibility of the Andromeda Galaxy change their astrological systems?"

The goblin shrugged, still looking amused. He then took his seat again.

"So, how did your meeting with Aberforth go?" asked Lily.

Grobschmied grunted. "He gave me a detailed report of the Belgian front, invited me to lunch, and then asked me to sit through a very long and tedious meeting with their counsel."

"So what's happening on the Belgian front?"

"Well, I'm sure Ron's already told you that the border towns are under attack, but the Belgians have managed to hold the Blackrobes off."

Lily nodded.

"But the Blackrobes have planted agents in the Belgian Ministry."

"Sabotage," said Lily, scowling.

"Exactly," sighed Grobschmied. "It's exactly as it was with the British and Dutch Ministries. By now there will be several Dutch officials under the Imperius Curse, and others taken in by Death Eater rhetoric, though they don't know it's Death Eater rhetoric. And just as before, they'll attempt an invasion as soon as the government is inefficient enough?"

Lily stared. "But you told me that the Death Eaters were even more devastated by the Battle of Hogwarts than the Partisans and the Order were!"

Grobschmied smiled grimly. "They were, but like the Partisans and the Order, the Death Eaters have spent the past sixteen years rebuilding. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters have two advantages: one, they tend to recruit more heavily than we ever manage, and two, they've got Dementors and werewolves along with other dark creatures on their side."

"Does this mean that the Partisans and the Order will be returning to battle?" asked Lily.

Grobschmied nodded. "Soon, Lily. Quite soon."

He sat in silence, and stared up at the stars thoughtfully. Then he leaned backward, so that his head was resting on the wooden fence that lined the edge of the dock.

"A pity you'll have to wait until next winter to have a look at Orion in that thing. Most spectacular constellation in the night sky, I think."

"Oh, I could always come out and have a look at it at four in the morning," said Lily. "It'll be out by then."

"The night patrol won't like that." Grobschmied looked at his watch. "Speaking of which, Captain Grimrook and I need to call a meeting with them, and you'll need to head back to the Tower soon. Unpleasant prospects for both of us, I'm sure, but the line of duty calls."

He stood and bade her goodnight, before striding across the dock, up the path, and out of sight. Lily watched him go, feeling slightly irritated, before glancing up at the centaur guard close by, who was watching her expectantly. Sighing in defeat, she packed up her telescope and followed Grobschmied.

A peaceful forest island indeed, and there were many pleasantries that came with bending rules, but the consequences of annoying the Forest Guard with their tungsten armor and enchanted scimitars was not one of them.

**Dr. Grobschmied is one of my favorite characters in this story. He is based in many ways on my grandfather, but he's also got a bit of Mr. Bennet from "Pride and Prejudice" in him. This last scene with the telescope was inspired by a scene in the Doctor Who episode "Partners in Crime."**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

The next morning Lily woke to the sound and smell of heavy rainfall outside, and she stretched out on her bed and relaxed, enjoying it. She loved to stay in bed when it rained, and did it rain often, on a hidden island somewhere in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean…

Once Ron had told her that her mother had enjoyed listening to rain too. It was a very soothing sound, and the smell of dew and water was just as refreshing, especially when she was feeling down. Her mother was her one surviving parent, but Ginny Potter was in no condition to raise Lily, who visited her almost everyday at the Goblynsrefuge infirmary, but Ginny could not acknowledge her daughter's presence. She was not even aware that she had a daughter. Everyday, when her Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione went out on duty, Lily visited the infirmary, and everyday Ginny would continue to stare blankly at the ceiling, her eyes glazed over, and her mouth lolling open.

She sighed, and looked away from the window, reflecting upon the sixteen years in which Ginny, though alive, was all but dead to the rest of them. Sometimes Lily thought it would be better if Ginny actually was dead, for death would be kinder than to be alive but unable to acknowledge or respond to anything.

But that was Lily's connection to her mother, daily visits to the infirmary that were always coupled with nostalgic talks with Madam Pomfrey, who also fortunately survived the Battle of Hogwarts, the hours of bloodshed during which Lily came into existence.

On the other hand, according to Hermione, Ginny had been spared the awful news about her husband, who had been murdered at about the same time that the one Dementor the Partisans missed destroyed her. While Lily could visit Ginny, she never knew her father, and her one connection to him was the holly-and-phoenix feather wand that Remus Lupin had recovered from the battle. This was the wand with which Hermione had taught Lily magic from a very young age.

His death was a terrible blow to the Partisans for many reasons. First and foremost, Lily was told, having survived a terrible curse from Voldemort in his infancy, Harry had had a special mind connection with the other. The connection was somehow one-way, meaning that Harry could get into his enemy's mind and see what the Death Eaters were up to without Voldemort realizing it. But Harry was dead now, and that particular advantage had died with him.

But he also was the hope and morale of both the Partisans and the Order. After his death, many had lost hope, and part of the rebuilding process involved the new leaders of the resistance trying to bolster morale and encourage others to believe that Voldemort could still be defeated, though Lily thought some of them, including Remus Lupin and Aberforth Dumbledore, didn't really believe it themselves. She wasn't alive then, but she knew just from observation that the Partisans were better and happier when Harry Potter was alive.

Those days, of course, were the Partisans' most successful, as they were able to thwart almost all of Voldemort's plans, thanks to Harry's mind connection, and it was common knowledge around the island that he was one of Voldemort's greatest and most successful enemies, again a source of hope.

But those days were over.

Generally in Goblynsrefuge, the mornings were silent except for the distant arguments of goblins and centaurs in the distance, and the sounds of centaur's hooves. Rainy mornings, such as this one, were completely silent except for the rain on the window and roof. But as the rain fell harder than ever that morning, there came unexpectedly the first new noise of the day, and the first new noise was a very loud _CRACK_, followed by what sounded like shouts and high-pitched squeaks.

It was so loud and sudden that in shock, Lily fell out of her bed and smashed her head on her bedside table. The blinding pain made her oblivious to everything, but when it began to subside, she heard someone say, "Oh, no you don't!"

There was a squeal, followed by, _"Get back here, you mad old toerag!"_

Lily grabbed her father's wand and ran down the stairs, but not before Dr. Grobschmied, still in his night clothes and yawning, appeared and wearily said, "It's only Captain Grimrook."

The front door opened, and the goblin entered with his back to them, wearing his heavy tungsten breastplate and grunting loudly. Rok Grimrook, who was a young goblin with tidy brown hair and handsome dark side-burns, appeared to be dragging something behind him. Ron and Hermione came rushing down from the third floor, and Ron yelled, "Grimrook, what the bloody-hell are you doing?"

As Dobby appeared on the scene too, Grimrook raised his dark eyes to Ron's and said, "Look what I found sneaking around the dock just now."

He gave a heave, and dragged in something small but strong, with a skin so wrinkled it could have been three times too large, with even larger bat-like ears, and a snout-like nose. The thing was emitting squeals of pain and of protest. Dobby's nose wrinkled in distain.

"Kreacher won't be dragged around by the goblin that took Kreacher's talisman! Kreacher wants to go to Grimmauld Place, he wants to hide in Master Regulus's home, but he cannot, he must return to his master's hiding place, he has to serve his master, he is ordered to return to Goblynsrefuge…"

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Grimrook at the ancient house-elf.

Lily stared at the elf. She had never seen this creature before, but judging by the astonished looks on everyone else's faces, they knew him.

"What does he mean, 'Kreacher has to serve his new master'?" asked Hermione. "Kreacher, who is your new master?"

"Kreacher doesn't know, he doesn't know if Master or Mistress had any children, he doesn't know who to go to, he doesn't know if he has any allegiance. Kreacher is so confused, Kreacher doesn't know who his new master is, if he has a new master."

"You don't know," repeated Ron, his expression irritated and incredulous. Kreacher nodded, then shook his head, looking terribly bewildered.

"Kreacher returned to Goblynsrefuge, he needed to find Master's friends, he assumed they'd be at Goblynsrefuge."

Grobschmied, who had disappeared into the kitchen, returned with a mug. He then approached Kreacher, and bent over as far as his horse's body would allow, and handed him the mug, saying, "Drink this, it will help you."

Kreacher looked at Grobschmied suspiciously, then downed the mug. A second later, he keeled over and fell to the floor, snoring loudly.

Grimrook picked up the elf and deposited him on the sofa, where he remained fast asleep. He then turned to Grobschmied and said, "Thank you!"

"Who was that?" demanded Lily.

"Kreacher," answered Hermione, still looking shocked.

"I gathered," said Lily in exasperation.

Grobschmied, recovering first, answered Lily's question. "He was your father's house-elf, who he inherited after Sirius Black died. Kreacher worked for the Partisans as a spy, but after Harry died, he disappeared. We assumed that either he was dead or he had found a new master."

Dobby was still scowling at the sleeping Kreacher, and Ron sniggered.

"Dobby hates him."

"Never mind that," said Hermione quickly. "Why hasn't Kreacher got a new master? You would think he'd go to Lily; Harry's been dead for sixteen years."

Simultaneously, she and Ron both looked at Dobby to see if he could provide an answer. Dobby shrugged.

"I don't know," he said lightly. " I can't explain it. Kreacher should have gone instantly to the wife or any children. There would be no point in him going to Ginny, not while she's in her condition, therefore by all rights he should be Lily's elf. Harry Potter never freed Kreacher, did he?"

"Kreacher didn't know Lily existed though," said Ron.

Lily looked at the elf on the couch, not entirely sure how to react that this ancient, disgruntled elf was supposed to be her servant. She winced at the thought.

"He's not that bad," said Hermione. "He used to be really rude, but he improved a lot while he was working for Harry."

"If he was still as horrible as he was when Sirius was alive, he would have called me a 'hobgob', Ron a 'blood traitor,' Hermione a 'Mudblood' and you a 'filthy half-blood' all in one breath," said Grobschmied.

Lily still didn't relish the idea.

"Perhaps he's playing it false," said Ron, sounding worried. "Kreacher was only Harry's elf because Sirius gave him to Harry. What if after Harry died he went to Sirius's only living relative? Bellatrix Lestrange…" he added to Lily's bemused expression. "Do you think he's spying for Death Eaters?"

"We've got a whole stock of Veritaserum to interrogate him, if necessary," said Grobschmied, "but personally, I don't think Kreacher's lying."

Grimrook reached into his pocket and withdrew something. "He did carry this. He was really upset when I took it."

It was a small silver pendant, shaped like a dragon.

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"What does it look like?" said Ron, rolling his eyes. "It's just a pendant."

Grobschmied ignored him and took the pendant, looking at it closely.

"He seemed really attached to it," said Grimrook. "That was what really set him off, when I took it. I mostly took it out of interest, but the way he reacted at even my touching it just wasn't normal, even for Kreacher."

"Hmm." Grobschmied was still frowning at the pendant, a slightly bewildered expression crossing his face. Grimrook nodded.

"I know what you mean."

"Why?" asked Hermione. "What's wrong with it?"

Neither goblin answered at first, but then Grobschmied said, "It's a very pretty piece of work, isn't it, Rok? But if it's sent Kreacher around the bend, then maybe we should take it off his hands for a while. Do you want it, Lily? As his master's daughter, I doubt he'll try to steal it from you. You can keep it safe, though I might ask to examine it occasionally."

Lily, who already admired the workmanship, the cutting of the pendant, nodded and pocketed it. Ron was shaking his head at Grobschmied, and Lily saw him mouth the words, "I'll never understand goblins." Grobschmied smirked and retreated back up the stairs, and Hermione picked up Kreacher and carried him into the back room while Dobby returned grumbling to the kitchen.

**For anybody who's wondering why Dobby no longer talks like Dobby, I figure that after spending twenty years in the company of Hermione Granger _and_ Dr. Grobschmied (who is a very scholarly goblin), neither of whom support elf slavery, Dobby would become better educated after a while. He can now speak correct English, he can read and write, and he's completely lost the old elf instincts slavery hammered into him (such as punishing himself). **


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! Writer's Block combined with a big research paper and end of semester finals have prevented me from putting much work into this! But I finally found time for it this evening, and here is the next chapter. It's a bit longer than the others so far, but I hope you find it interesting.**

Chapter 3:

The Death Eaters called it the Purification. The Order of the Phoenix called it the Infection. However one looked at it, it was spreading, like a cloud of blackness that engulfed everything, beginning in Britain, or what was left of Britain. So much mist and despair did the Dementors spread, that this blackness was almost literal. Some days in winter were so dark that it made no difference whether it was day or night.

But it was spreading. The darkness had already engulfed the Netherlands, and parts of Belgium and France. The seeds of this Infection had already planted themselves in Germany. Spies, in other words, those of the Death Eaters who explored the area where the Order of the Phoenix seemed to be most active.

Two such Blackrobes set about the countryside of Hesse one night, about twenty miles south of the suburbs of Frankfurt. There was a small Muggle village there, Grünehügel, where there was recently a tip-off off odd, unwanted activity.

"Are you going to tell me what we're looking for yet?" hissed the one, glancing at the other, who was staring at the quiet village with narrow eyes.

"As soon as I wish, Garaix" sneered the other.

"You'll tell me now. I don't care if Dolohov is your father."

Igor Dolohov didn't answer, but crept through the grass to the road, toward the town square. The other Blackrobe followed, cursing under his breath, and looking around fearfully. Dolohov continued down the road, past the town square, and eventually to a small tavern, where he knocked.

The barkeeper opened the door, looking irritable. "Darf ich Sie helfen, herr?"

"Sprechen Sie Englisch?" spat out Dolohov.

"Yes, herr," he replied. "Who are you exactly?"

Dolohov and Garaix forced their way through, and Garaix shut the door and locked it. The barkeeper took a step backward, and a second later, Dolohov had pinned him against the wall by the throat.

"There were two people in your tavern last week," hissed Dolohov, drawing his wand. "Hooded, wore cloaks, one of them had pink hair."

"Those veirdos?" The barkeeper squinted, trying to remember, but his face was slowly whitening. "Ja, I remember them."

"What were their names?"

"The pink-haired lady, called the other an odd name I can't remember… Vasel… Viesel… Viesley…? I didn't get her name."

Dolohov snorted and pressed his wand into the barkeeper's jugular.

"Did you catch any of their conversation? Answer me!"

The barkeeper's eyes went wide with terror. "They… they said somebody named Aberforth was keeping someone's existence… a girl… a secret. Said that somebody named Voldemort…"

"Don't say the Dark Lord's name, you filthy Muggle!" snarled Garaix.

The barkeeper stammered apologies, and Dolohov pressed the wand further into his throat. The former yelped in pain.

"What about the Dark Lord?" he asked.

"They said he'd view the girl as a threat."

"Did they give any names?" asked Dolohov.

"Nein, herr!"

"Anything else?"

"They mentioned a place… I think they called it Goblynsrefuge…"

"And where is this place?" demanded Dolohov.

"Daß weiß ich nicht! Bitte, herr, bitte!"

Dolohov threw the barkeeper aside and waved his wand. "Obliviate!"

The barkeeper rubbed his neck and asked, "Guten Abend, darf ich Sie helfen?"

"Nein, Sie können nicht mich helfen!" snarled Dolohov, and he and Garaix quitted the room and slammed the door on the barkeeper's indignant face.

"Can't we have just killed him?" asked Garaix.

"What, and alert the Order to our presence?" Dolohov was walking so fast that Garaix was almost running to keep up.

"And what was the point in that?" asked Garaix angrily. "What have we found out?"

"If you've got any brains, Garaix, you'd know the answer to that." Dolohov slowed, then leapt into an alleyway and crouched behind some dustbins. "He said Tonks and Weasley mentioned Goblynsrefuge… ever heard of it?"

"No. Maybe it's the Order's headquarters."

"If it is, then we've got something new for the Dark Lord. And he'd probably be interested in that bit about the Order hiding somebody from him." Dolohov looked around, and said, "Let's get back to the camp and inform Amycus."

The two of them sprinted from the alley. Behind another dustbin, in the shadows some ten feet from where the two Death Eaters had just been hiding, an older man crept out, and, as quietly as he could, followed them.

"How far to the camp?" panted Garaix ten minutes later as he and Dolohov sprinted through the grass back northward.

"Not too far, just beyond that set of hills there," said Dolohov, pointing.

"Good. I don't want to stay out here much longer."

Dolohov stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter with you?" he asked. "You've been complaining ever since we got the assignment, and always talking about how you want to go back."

"You should know the answer to that."

"C'mon, Garaix, it's just a rumor. The only answers I'm interested in getting are the ones the Dark Lord wants."

"It's not just a rumor, Dolohov, and you know it."

"Oh? Whoever heard of something which isn't affected by the Killing Curse?"

"Harry Potter was one."

Dolohov snorted.

"I'll grant you the first time he was hit with it, but the second time…"

Dolohov ran a finger across his throat, and howled with laughter. Garaix chose not to comment.

They continued, and set up the steep climb of one of the hills, behind which they would find the Blackrobe camp. When they passed the rock not far from the top, a cloud in the sky shifted its course and moved aside, revealing the half-moon. The landscape was illuminated, so that all was visible, Grünehügel, other villages in the distance, the road and all the trees and brush. They could see a stream flowing a short distance away, silvery in the moonlight.

Dolohov froze, and Garaix walked into him.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Shut up!" hissed Dolohov, pointing.

Garaix looked up to the hilltop, and they could see the silhouette of a man on a horse, alone and motionless, looking at the moon in silence. His outline had a luster to it, showing that he was wearing a full suit of armor. Garaix gave a small whimper, and Dolohov looked lost for words.

The armored figure gave no sign that it had noticed them. It just stared at the moon, as though it were a lifeline, almost. The horse snorted, and rocked its head, waiting for a command from its master.

Garaix took a step backward, and for the first time, Dolohov agreed with him.

The moment they moved, however, the figure moved. The horse turned around, so that the figure was staring right at them.

It didn't move, and neither did Dolohov nor Garaix. They just stared at each other for a minute. There was a rustle and a moan as the wind blew past suddenly, and they thought they saw a flash of green from behind the knight's visor. Then it slowly began to approach them.

"Who are you?" demanded Dolohov, but there was a waver in his voice.

The knight made no answer, but it paused.

"Answer me!" yelled Dolohov. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Again the knight remained silent. It just watched them, and then they saw it drawing a wand from its belt.

"Expelliarmus!"

Dolohov sent the spell, but to his astonishment and terror, the target slapped it aside as though it was a stone.

"Stupefy!"

The jet of red light struck, but the knight didn't seem to feel it. He dismounted the horse, and his greaves hit the ground with a loud thud, the armor reverberating as though nothing substantial existed beneath it. Then they heard heart-stopping metallic footsteps, and realized that the sorcerer was approaching them.

"Avada Kedavra!" cried Garaix, losing his head completely.

The light streamed from his wand and struck the knight in the breastplate. The force of the curse made him stagger, but he did not fall. The green eyes flashed from behind his visor again, and he raised his wand.

Garaix broke into a run, with Dolohov close behind. The knight did not give chase, but watched them hightail it. A moment later, Dolohov leapt forward and took hold of Garaix's arm, and they Disapparated.

The knight stood there, his gaze fixed on the spot they had disappeared from, for a long time, but after a while, he turned, remounted his horse, and took off at a gallop. Another cloud moved in front of the moon, and within minutes the knight had disappeared into the distance.

From his observation point, Remus Lupin ran off back down the road to the village.

********

It was one of those days when Ron was gone on duty and Hermione was shut up in her office. Dobby had run off to have a meeting with Captain Grimrook, and after lunch Lily was scheduled to have a history lesson with Dr. Grobschmied (who was at the Order's headquarters in Germany again). However, feeling too restless to read a book, and without anyone else to talk to, she thought to spend her spare time in the company of Madam Pomfrey and Ginny.

The infirmary was a large cabin a little off the main road through the forest, which led to the dock. It was almost as large as the main cabin where the Partisan leaders lived, but it was wider and flatter, requiring only two floors and lots of beds. Lily went to visit her mother about twice a week, ever since she was old enough to walk. Hermione used to take Lily there when she was little, but these days Hermione was too busy, so Lily usually visited alone.

Ginny's bed was on the second floor, adjacent to Madam Pomfrey's office, and it was there Lily found Madam Pomfrey forcing food down Ginny's throat when she arrived.

Madam Pomfrey beamed when she saw Lily enter; the latter smiled back, and was not surprised to see an expression of complete boredom on the matron's face. Lily knew that things were going rather slowly lately. She had noticed that there were times when goblins and wizards would leave Goblynsrefuge or visit incessantly, some appearing with nasty injuries. Some were so horrible that Lily was barred from the infirmary, even to see Ginny. But these periods had not occurred for over a year.

"Oh, thank heavens!" she cried when she saw Lily. "I was thinking of finding somebody to look after your mother for a while, because I really needed a break. You can provide it. No offense, but Ginny doesn't make much company."

"I know what you mean," said Lily dully, looking at her mother's white face. "Sometimes I wish she'd just die, then she wouldn't be in this state."

Madam Pomfrey seemed unable to think of a reply to this, so instead she asked what Lily's day would be like.

She shrugged. "I've got a lesson with Dr. Grobschmied, but that's about it, actually. Everybody's busy with Partisan and Order business, so I've got tons of free time today. Seems to be happening a lot, actually."

The matron nodded. "It's the war," she said. "I understand that the Death Eaters have started again."

"That's what Dr. Grobschmied told me." Lily took a seat on the other side of Ginny's bed.

They sat in silence for a moment, in which Lily contemplated Ginny's face. There were times when Lily could spend over an hour just watching her mother. Sometimes she even spoke to Ginny, even though she knew that Ginny didn't have the faintest inkling she was being spoken to.

"What have you been up to lately?" Madam Pomfrey asked suddenly.

"Oh, this and that," Lily replied. "I've been trying out the new telescope, and it works really well. Very good view."

The other smirked. "He spoils you."

Lily rolled her eyes, and smiled. "I've also started reading 'Macbeth,' because Hermione insisted on it."

"What's 'Macbeth?'" Madam Pomfrey asked curiously.

"It's a play by a Muggle author named Shakespeare. Dr. Grobschmied and Hermione insist that he's one of the best authors in history." Lily paused, then smirked. "You should see Hermione try to convince Ron that wizards have really missed out on story-telling by ignoring Shakespeare. She has a whole bunch of Muggle books in the library; she encourages me to read them, and is always trying to convince Ron to read them too."

"Hermione would," said Madam Pomfrey, smiling fondly. "She's a sensible girl, and she never was as reckless as Ron and Harry. I only had her in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts a few times. Now your father… I had to treat him a lot. Mostly for Quidditch injuries—he was unusually prone to accidents on the field."

"Quidditch sounds like a lot of fun," said Lily wistfully. "Ron's explained all the rules, but apparently neither he nor the rest of the family have played for years."

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Nobody around here has much time to play Quidditch, and anyway, there aren't many around who would. Goblins aren't really interested, house-elves are too small, and you can't exactly get a centaur on a broom. Even if you could, centaurs wouldn't be very interested either."

Lily knew from experience that there were lot of things in which centaurs weren't interested. They mostly kept to themselves, except when summoned or sent off on some kind of job. Lily had more contact with the goblins on the island than the centaurs (not counting Firenze, who sometimes stayed at the cabin with the other Partisan leaders), and she wasn't very fond of the goblins, except for Dr. Grobschmied, Captain Grimrook, and a few others. But every time she saw a centaur she knew, that centaur would watch her the whole time she was present, as though X-raying her.

She had never told anybody about this, though it annoyed her. Shaking her head, she continued to look at her mother, who, as always, was staring at the ceiling. Ginny's eyes were glazed over, but they looked as though they were normally brown in color.

After a few more minutes of conversation, Madam Pomfrey suddenly remembered that she had to run an errand, and hastily quitted the room, leaving Lily alone with Ginny.

"No cure for you, Mum?" she asked out loud, knowing the answer. She had even asked Madam Pomfrey if there was any chance of recovery, and she always got the same negative answer.

The thing was, Lily wasn't entirely sure her mother was completely gone. Having visited Ginny so many times, Lily had become accustomed to her mother's general look, and she could swear that Ginny's face would almost express emotion at times, but she was never entirely sure of that. Usually it appeared to be immeasurable sadness, sometimes despair, and sometimes fear. Admittedly, she could have imagined it, because it was always a dark emotion. But at the same time, Dr. Grobschmied, who had put much thought into this sort of thing, said that he believed emotion was part of the soul.

She had never mentioned this to Madam Pomfrey, or anyone else, for that matter. Lily therefore had no idea if the old matron had noticed it too. But it occurred to her that if a piece of Ginny's soul was still in tact, then perhaps the rest of her soul was too. Should that be the case, then it was probably possible to cure her.

This line of thought intrigued Lily, and she resolved to speak to Grobschmied about it, and perhaps her aunt and uncle.

When Madam Pomfrey did not return for another half hour, Lily decided she'd go back to the cabin and continue reading _Macbeth_, or perhaps practice some spells. So she quitted the room, wandered past the beds on the first floor, and stepped outside.

The sky had cleared up since Kreacher's reappearance the day before, and sunlight streamed through the many brambles and branches that grew over Lily's head. The smell of dew and pine remained from the day before, and Lily breathed it in deeply, reveling in it. Goblynsrefuge did seem a prison at times, but at other times, it was a beautiful place.

She stepped onto the road and slowly ambled in the direction of the cabin; she still had another two hours until her lesson with Grobschmied, and was in no hurry. But her reverie was interrupted by a sudden greeting from across the road.

"Miss Potter!"

Lily turned and caught sight of Rok Grimrook, today dressed in a rather early 19th century frock coat and trousers with riding boots; for some reason that Lily could never fathom, the goblins always wore clothes that were at least two centuries out of date. She supposed it was just one of their many eccentricities. Grimrook tipped his hat to Lily gallantly, and she crossed the dirt road to greet him.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully, giving him a playful salute. "You're not wearing your armor today."

"I'm off duty," he said, looking very pleased about it. Lily frowned.

"I thought you had a meeting with Dobby."

"Already done with," Grimrook said, waving his hand impatiently. "So what are you doing out here? Morning walk?"

"No," Lily said dully. "I've been to the infirmary."

Grimrook smiled sympathetically, as he began to walk with Lily up the path. "I see. How is your mother?"

Lily shrugged. "Same as always."

The goblin nodded, his expression understanding. He then took on a more cheerful expression. "I'm off duty, but I'm still on my way to the training grounds."

"Why?" asked Lily. "Are the guards drilling today?"

Grimrook shook his head. "No, not until this evening. I'm just going for a bit of target practice, and I also need to check up on the weapons design facility. I actually need to meet up with your uncles Fred and George about that soon."

He patted his side as he spoke, and Lily glanced down at the revolver that Grimrook always carried with him, clipped to his belt. That was another odd quirk of the goblins. Lily had seen the guards practicing many times, but apart from the enchanted scimitars they always carried, Lily had never seen them use magic. Instead, they always used firearms. One could hear them almost every day.

Lily hesitated for a moment. "I've always wondered, but I've never asked… why do you like to use Muggle guns in your drills?"

"Because we use them in battle," he replied with a smirk.

Lily frowned. "Against wizard magic? How does that work?"

Grimrook's grin grew a little wider. "It works very well. It's a strategic advantage." He then frowned. "Didn't my uncle ever tell you about this?"

Lily shrugged. "As I said, I've never asked."

"What about in your lessons?"

"Dr. Grobschmied usually teaches history, philosophy, and magical theory."

Grimrook raised an eyebrow. "Does he ever teach you physics?"

"Sometimes."

He sighed. "I'll have to have a word with him. You're getting old enough, and now that the violence is starting again…"

Grimrook's voice died, but Lily broke the silence with a curious, "So how does it work?"

The goblin's smile returned. "Do you want to see?"

Lily nodded.

"Then follow me."

Grimrook led Lily down the left pathway in the next fork in the road, leading away from the main cabin toward the guards' training grounds. As he walked, he asked her, "Do you ever wonder why Dr. Grobschmied puts extensive study into physics?"

"No, actually."

Grimrook laughed. "Given up asking, have you?"

Lily grinned awkwardly, but Grimrook didn't wait for an answer.

"Dr. Grobschmied and I believe, and now most of the Partisan resistance agree with us, that physical science, the laws and phenomenon of the Universe, are superior even to magic," he explained. "One of the self-evident truths of the Universe is that the laws governing it are unchanging, regardless to where or when in existence you are. Therefore magic, as a part of existence in itself, is subject to physical law as much as the non-magical."

Lily stared. "How is that?"

"Well, to give you an example, what you call conjuration is actually a mixture between transfiguration and the Summoning Charm. Conjuration spells summon necessary materials, often separate atoms, and mold them into the object you focus on. However, no object can be created out of nothing under any circumstances, not even by magic. That is a violation of physical law."

Lily nodded. "You're saying that magic doesn't violate physics, but it adds a new set of rules to it."

"In a nutshell, yes." They made another turn, and the training grounds, a large, expansive area fenced off from the rest of the island, with some clear areas and some forest areas. "As a natural phenomenon, magic, of course, has and uses kinetic and potential energy."

Lily frowned again. "Hermione's never taught me this."

Grimrook shook his head, wearing an odd expression. "No, because it's a field of study she's not an expert in. Hermione never learned this part of what Dr. Grobschmied calls 'magical science,' nor did any wizard I know. Most wizards, sadly including the ones who taught at Hogwarts, are deceived by the glamour of magic into believing it is superior to what they call 'Muggle science.' They feel that physical science is a Muggle substitution for magic, therefore not worth their notice. For this reason, they don't bother to even learn it, let alone teach it."

"But goblins study it?"

As Lily asked this question, they walked past the gate; a guard nodded to Grimrook as they passed.

"Goblins have always had a very different outlook on the situation between magic and non-magic," Grimrook explained. "Our magic is different from wizard magic by nature, and goblins don't have a non-magical population. We lack the elitism of purebloods, and tend to be more inventive. Wizards, however, are very medieval in their knowledge of the universe. What's more, magical innovation among wizards has come to a progressive standstill. The Death Eaters mistakenly believe that it is the Muggle presence in the world. I say that it is wizard isolationism that is causing this standstill."

"So you're saying that the Death Eaters' ignorance and their scorn for natural law is their Achilles' Heel."

Grimrook beamed at Lily. "Yes, if you like."

He paused then, facing a straw dummy that had been set up about fifteen feet from where they were standing. Grimrook scrutinized it for a moment, his face deep in thought, before he turned to Lily.

"Now, again, magic uses kinetic and potential energy; that's why you get tired if you use too much magic. Wizards are helped, of course, by their wands, but it still drains you."

Lily understood, and told him so.

He continued, "In physical science, energy is everything. The Universe would not exist without it. Because magic is also dependent upon energy, warfare becomes not a matter of what method of fighting you use, but a matter of which tactic uses greater energy. Do you see what I'm getting at?"

"I think so."

Grimrook nodded. "So let me give you a demonstration of this principle. If you would, Miss Potter, cast a basic shield around that dummy?"

Lily drew her father's wand, then walked to the dummy. She then touched the tip of her wand to the top of the dummy's head.

"Protego!"

Even though it was invisible, Lily could feel the shield materialize around the dummy, and she took a step backwards.

"Now try to touch the dummy," Grimrook commanded, causing Lily to give him an odd look. Nevertheless, she raised her hand moved it forward until it made contact with the shield. She pushed her hand harder, but she could feel the magical barrier holding her back. She then turned to Grimrook, and shook her head. He smiled.

"Can't do it? That's because you're not putting enough energy into it. It has nothing to do with you being a solid object. Now, come here a moment."

Lily returned to his side, and Grimrook began fishing around one of his pockets. A moment later, he pulled a pair of discolored spectacles from within.

"These were made by Dr. Grobschmied; they'll allow you to see the shield."

He handed them to Lily, and she put them on. The moment she did, she saw a sphere of what looked like violet glass surrounding the dummy. She turned to look at Grimrook, who had drawn his revolver.

"Now watch this."

There was a click as the goblin cocked the weapon and took careful aim. Lily turned to look at the dummy again.

_BANG._

Lily's hands flew up to cover her ears, but that had not prevented her from witnessing the violet sphere suddenly disintegrate into shards of red light, and instantly, the dummy was blasted backwards in an explosion of straw. Lily gasped.

"What did you see?" Grimrook asked.

"The shield shattered!"

Grimrook nodded. "The bullet struck with far greater energy than the shield held. 'Course, that was only a basic shield. You already know that it only works on minor spells. The more powerful the shield, however, the harder it is to break. For that reason, we typically use more powerful guns. We also add our own enchantments to them to prevent the Death Eaters from using magic to disable the guns, but typically, magic is not needed to break the shields."

He replaced the revolver on his belt. "Now, the same rule applies vice versa. Un-enchanted armor can block curses depending on the intensity of its potential energy."

"Is that why tungsten is generally resistant to magic?"

"Exactly." Grimrook paused thoughtfully, before saying suddenly, "Oh, I'll tell you what it's like! It's like when you take a piece of tungsten and try to scratch it with a steel knife. You can sharpen the knife all you want, push it against the tungsten as hard as you can. You can try everything you want, but no matter what you do, the steel will always be softer than the tungsten. It will never scratch it. The same principle applies to the respective energy levels."

Lily nodded, feeling quite impressed. All these years, and Muggles had been capable of fighting wizards all along. No wonder wizards secretly feared them! But then a sudden thought struck her, and she turned to Grimrook again.

"What about the Unforgivables?"

Grimrook's smug grin vanished. "That is a project we've been working on for years." His voice was very grim. "We've worked on it since your father was alive: armor, or any type of shield, which is capable of blocking the Avada Kedavra curse."

He turned, and led Lily toward the exit. "I spent many months here with your father and Dr. Grobschmied working on it. The first thing we did was measure the energy of the Avada Kedavra curse. Your father (after many failed attempts, I might add) cast it, and we measured its energy. Then we searched all over Muggle science for weapons or phenomena with the same energy, and how Muggles defended themselves from it or controlled it."

He sighed. "We're still experimenting, and I think we're getting close—I only wish we could have had some success prior to the Battle of Hogwarts. But thus far, we have to make do with what we've got. At least it's something."

********

**I've been exploring the relationship between magic and physical science for a while now. I've seen this debated on Harry Potter forums before, and in this chapter I decided to display my view of that relationship. One of the questions in the debate was whether or not magic would hold back the force of a thermonuclear bomb. My answer was no. To say that magic could hold back the energy of an uncontrolled nuclear fusion reaction would be like saying that magic is superior to the power of the Universe itself. Does the magic wizards hold match the energy holding together the atom? Or does it rival the power of Krakatoa or Katrina? Again, I say, "no." **

**I have said before that in order for magic to be believable, it has to have laws as rigid as physical science. Magic can't be unlimited, otherwise wizards would be omnipotent, and there would be no point in a story if that were true. Because Rowling had a story about magic set in the modern world where physical science clearly is part of reality, I figure that magic, as part of the Universe, would probably be limited by the same laws as science. Therefore, as Grimrook states, I sometimes refer to it as "magical science."**


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Several days later, Lily got out her telescope as the sun began setting, intending to spend time on the dock observing the stars, as was her wont. But she also liked to use that time stargazing to mull over Captain Grimrook's lesson about magic and technology in combat, among other things.

So taking her father's wand in one hand and her telescope in the other, Lily stepped outside, illuminating the wand, before wandering past the smaller cabins where she could see goblins and elves chatting or eating dinner through the lit windows, down the road to the dock.

Grimrook's demonstration had disturbed her, not only because it was so different to what was conventionally taught to wizards, but because so many wizards had deliberately blinded themselves to it.

The things she had learned in the past few days had caused her to wonder about the Wizarding World and if it ever was right for wizards to go into hiding in the first place. They, after all, were human beings as much as Muggles were, and therefore needed to be part of progression. After Grimrook's demonstration with the gun and the magical barrier Lily had conjured, she spent several hours in Grobschmied's library trying to gain greater understanding of the study. It wasn't difficult to find, however; many of the books and articles she'd found there were filled with notecards that Grobschmied had inserted into the pages, some cards covered with notes, some with diagrams, and some with equations.

She hadn't understood a lot of these inserts, but one thing Lily did understand from both the research and from Grimrook's demonstration was the full import of what he was trying to tell her. Never before had Lily truly appreciated the very great danger that wizards had placed themselves in by separating themselves from Muggles.

The walk from the Heads' cabin to the dock was not a long one. The dock, which mostly was surrounded by trees like everything else here, was perhaps three hundred yards from the cabin, distance enough for the cabin to be well hidden from the dock's viewpoint. The last place one passed walking down the road to the dock was a large clearing where lay the island cemetary. Lily visited that place at times when she really felt the need to be alone, the place where her father was buried.

Tonight she had no inclination to go there, but as she passed, she thought she heard a scuffling inside the cemetery, and curious, she changed course and wandered inside, raising her wand to get a better view.

She could see something small and bent-over scampering between the graves toward the largest grave in sight, Harry Potter's grave; she followed it until she was ten feet away, and the shadowy figure stopped before the gravestone, falling to its feet and mumbling in a low, bullfrog voice. It was Kreacher.

"Why is Master doing this to Kreacher?" the elf wept. "Master is dead, why does he not release Kreacher from his bidding?"

Lily listened intently, watching the old elf sob on his former master's headstone.

"Kreacher wants to go to Master's daughter, he doesn't want to be bound to a dead master. Not one that he cannot serve, not one whose orders Kreacher cannot hear." The elf wailed. "Master, why can Kreacher not go to your daughter?"

Stunned at what she heard, Lily stepped forward, and called out hesitantly, "Kreacher?"

The elf stopped crying instantly. He looked up, and seeing her approach him, he got to his feet and bowed to her respectfully.

"Mistress Lily, what can Kreacher do for you?"

Lily frowned. "Are you all right?"

Kreacher did not answer, but instead looked at a point some five inches below her neck and said, "Mistress Lily has the talisman. Why did the goblin take it from Kreacher?"

"What's the matter, Kreacher?" Lily asked, ignoring the change of subject.

The elf hesitated. "Kreacher is frightened."

"Of what?"

Kreacher's eyes filled with tears again. He made a gurgling sound, and shook his tiny, wrinkled head hopelessly, but he did not answer.

"You can tell me, Kreacher," said Lily in the most comforting voice she could assume.

"Kreacher does not know."

"You don't know why you are frightened?"

He choked, but he did not answer.

"Does it have something to do with my father?" Lily pressed, trying to discern Kreacher's reaction to any mention of his former master; but the elf just shook his head, then nodded, then shook it again. Lily sighed in exasperation.

"Can you not tell me?"

The elf shook his head sadly, and Lily sighed. "Very well. Why don't you return to the cabin and get some rest, Kreacher?"

"Thank you, Mistress Lily."

Sobbing, the elf scurried off, leaving Lily in complete confusion.

********

"_News?"_

"_Our source has confirmed that the Order headquarters are in the area."_

"_Figures. This is where their activity is most dense."_

"_He also provided a list of people to keep an eye out for, which I have got for you here."_

"_But he hasn't given us the location?"_

"_No, he says that they have placed a Fidelius Charm on their headquarters, among other enchantments. You know the nature of the spell. We can only enter if he tricks the Secret-Keeper into telling."_

"_Tell him that he had better provide it soon, or he's a dead man. Still, it's a lead. And have you got anything further concerning this place, Goblynsrefuge?"_

"_The source says that Goblynsrefuge is the name of the location of the Partisans, and that we have to get throught he Order Headquarters before reaching them."_

"_Then it is two birds with one stone, if he can get hold of the Order's location."_

With a tap of her wand, Kingsley stopped the recording. "That's the end of it," she told Aberforth, who paced before his fireplace, his expression one of fury. Kingsley watched him vent his frustration for another moment, before continuing, "There's a leak in the Order. Whoever it is must have acted the moment Lupin told us that Amycus Carrow is in the area."

"Then I'll start sending out inquiries." Suddenly looking drained, Aberforth collapsed into a chair, and placed a hand over his eyes dejectedly. "I haven't had to send inquiries out since Snape's betrayal."

"What of Goblynsrefuge?" asked Kingsley. "We can't let them ever get that far."

Aberforth looked up. "The Partisans are well-protected, but if security in the Order is breached, then their safety will be compromised. The fact that the Death Eaters now know this makes the situation even more dangerous."

"What should I do?"

Aberforth paused, looking thoughtful. "Go to Goblynsrefuge and warn the Weasleys and Grobschmied. Tell them that they need to double security, and to prepare for the worst. And only tell the senior members of the Order. We don't want the spy to be put on his guard."

********

Over the next few weeks, senior members of the Order came to Goblynsrefuge and went incessently, including Lily's uncles, Fred and George, but they never stayed long. Ever since Aberforth Dumbledore had sent Kingsley to warn them that there was a leak in the Order, Ron and Hermione had been tightening security and inspecting the island inhabitants, determined to be prepared for a possible breach. When they weren't speaking with the Order visitors, they were shut up in their offices.

Dr. Grobschmied likewise was very busy. He, being in charge of the guard, doubled their watch, and had also personally taken up watch at times. He was out most of the day, and thus Lily's lessons were put on hold until the leak was uncovered and stopped.

Meanwhile it was known that things were not going well within Europe. Three weeks after Kingsley's visit, Goerge returned briefly to inform them that the Belgian Ministry had fallen, and that Voldemort was now exerting his forces against France. If the French were defeated, then there would be nothing to stop the Death Eaters from launchign an assault upon Germany. With it now known that the Order's headquarters were in Hesse, Voldemort would focus the assault on that area. Along with trying to uncover the leak, the Order was now at its wits end trying to assist the French Ministry.

A month into this crisis, Remus Lupin turned up at Goblynsrefuge to speak to Ron and Hermione. Lily had to tell him that they were out enforcing the new security measures, but that they would be back for lunch.

He sighed, and stretched on the sofa.

"So, how's it going?" he asked her sleepily.

"I feel like I've turned invisible lately," Lily told him frustratedly. "Ron and Hermione aren't around except for mealtimes, and they've been really bad-tempered. Grobschmied doesn't have time for my lessons, I'm not allowed near the Forest Guard, and even Fred and George don't have time to give duelling lessons. I want to be a part of this, but everyone tells me I need to be of age first."

"I'm sorry about this," said Lupin shaking his head. "You're like your father, who hated to be kept out of the thick of it too, and I'm too tired to argue the practical point in your case. In fact, since you've got both Harry's and Ginny's genes, I don't really dare to."

Lily managed to smile at that.

"The safety of this island and of the Order headquarters is of vital importance at this time," Lupin continued on a more serious note. "But I'm sure things will work out. So what have you been doing while you've been so discourteously ignored?"

"Mostly visiting Mum in the infirmary," said Lily, "but that has lost its fun too. Mum, of course, isn't much company, but before this Madam Pomfrey's always been welcoming. She, however, has been busy lately like everyone else, so there's no conversation in the infirmary anymore either."

They sat in silence for a long time, until Lupin asked, "How is Ginny?"

"Same as always."

Lupin sighed again, and ran his fingers through his gray hair. "If there was a way to cure her, I'd do all I could to find it."

"Maybe there is a way we haven't discovered yet," said Lily, remembering her thoughts from the infirmary the day Grimrook had given the demonstration with the revolver. "Remus, I haven't told aybody about this, but since you seem to know the most about the Dark Arts, I thought I'd ask you. What happens to the soul when taken by a Dementor?"

Lupin was silent for a long time. Lily tapped her foot on the floor patiently, waiting for his answer, and after a moment in contemplation, he finally said, "I don't know really. As I told your father many years ago, the general assumption is that the soul is forever lost afterwards, and the victim has nothing left. But I suppose that the truth is, nobody really knows."

Lily didn't reply for a moment, trying to think of an answer to this. Then she asked, "Is emotion left behind at all?"

Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Are you implying something, Lily?"

She hesitated. "I've watched Mum in the infirmary all my life, Remus, and sometimes I swear I see some emotion in her face. It's not obvious, and it's always brief, and always subtle. But I keep seeing something cross her face."

"You're sure that you haven't imagined this?"

"No, but answer my question. Do Dementor victims feel emotions?"

Lupin sat again in silence, for an even longer period, and eventually he said, "I don't know if that has ever been looked into. Ginny's mind is gone, but some say that emotion, not being a rational thing, is completely separate from the mind."

The moment Lupin told her this, Lily proceeded to recount her musings of a month before, aobut emotion being part of the soul, and the possibility of revival if part of a victim's soul was still in tact.

"Very philosophical, Lily," said Lupin with a smile. "That had Firenze, Grobschmied, and your grandmother Potter all at once."

"Thanks," said Lily sheepishly. "So, what do you think?"

"That it's a good theory, but don't get your hopes up."

Lily smiled. At that moment, Ron and Hermione walked in through the front door.

"Remus!" Ron called, entering the sitting room and clapping Lupin's shoulder. "When did you get here?"

"About half an hour ago," Lupin stood, smiling grimply at Ron and Hermione. "Aberforth sent me; I have something to report."

"Not bad news, is it?" asked Ron.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Best if you're informed, though."

"My office then," said Hermione, looking exhausted. The three of them instantly quitted the room.

Lily hesitated, then ran into the kitchen and opened up the cabinet to retrieve a glass. Then she followed the adults upstairs to Hermione's office. The door ahd been bewitched to prevent eavesdropping, but this time the walls, rather than the door, would have ears.

Lily placed the cup on the wall, then pressed her ear to it to hear Ron speaking.

"_And have any of the Order spoken to this wizard?"_

"_No, but there have been several sightings."_

"_You're sure it was the Killing Curse that Dolohov hit him with?"_ asked Hermione. _"Harry was the only known person who ever survived that curse."_

"_And that was under special circumstances,"_ added Ron.

"_And why haven't we heard of this yet?"_ Hermione sounded annoyed._ "If this happened over a month ago…"_

"_Aberforth thought it immaterial, or else he thought, like you, that it wasn't the Killing Curse that I saw Dolohov use. It was only after the last sighting that he thought you should be notified."_

"_I don't blame him really,"_ said Ron. _"Even Harry wasn't untouched by the Killing Curse when hew as a baby. His scar was proof of that. Who's ever heard of someone who isn't affected, even slightly, but he Unforgivables? It's air-brained and farfetched."_

"What is Mistress Lily doing?"

Lily jumped a foot in the air, and looked down to see Kreacher watching her curiously. Lily shushed him, and tried to listen again, but there was no sound in the office.

"Kreacher apologizes for disturbing Mistress," croaked the elf.

"You don't have to call me 'Mistress,' Kreacher," Lily told him.

Kreacher nodded, and Lily sighed, stepping away from the wall. "Kreacher, could you take this down to the kitchen for me?"

"Does Mistr… Does Lily want some water?"

"No thanks, Kreacher… just put it away."

Kreacher bowed, took the glass, and scurried away. Once he had gone, Lily crossed the hall to her room and sat on her bed, dwelling on what she had overheard.

********

Dinner that evenign was a quiet affaif. Ron, Grobschmied, and Grimrook had been shut up in Hermione's office since Lupin had returned to the Order, and only Hermione and Dobby came down to eat once Kreacher and another house-elf had finished cooking. Kreacher left to take the rest of the meal to the others upstairs, and half an hour went by with hardly a word, until Dobby finally excused himself and left the subdued atmosphere.

Kreacher had not returned, so Lily took up her dishes and put them in the sink, which was filled with soapy water. Hermione did the same, and as they washed their dishes in silence, Lily asked suddenly, "Who survived the Killing Curse?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows, but didn't look angry. "Were you eavesdropping? I thought I'd bewitched that door."

Lily smiled innocently. "You didn't bewitch the walls."

Hermione snorted. "The glass trick, huh? I'm going to have a word with Fred and George."

She was quiet for a minute, then, to Lily's great surprise, she answered her question. "We don't know exactly who, or even what it is. I'm still a bit skeptical about it. It sounds like the kind of thing that Luna would have come up with."

"But even you've admitted that Luna was sometimes right," Lily reminded her. She wished she could have met Luna Lovegood, who unfortunately was killed shortly after the battle at Hogwarts. Lily never knew Luna, but she had heard a lot about her. "It's not as farfetched as the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Hermione laughed in response. "So, how are you taking to Kreacher? Is he as horrible as you initially thought?"

"No, just senile, I think." Lily thought back to the encounter in the cemetery, and Kreacher's odd behavior.

Hermione shook her head, still smiling, then her smile faded and she ran her hand through her bushy hair, her face contemplative.

"What's up?" asked Lily.

"Just thinking about Kreacher," said Hermione. "Ron and I still can't work out why he didn't return immediately after Harry's death. Like I said, Kreacher should have passed on to you instantly."

"Did you try asking him?" asked Lily.

"Of course, but he just kept babbling about that pendant." Hermione looked pointedly at the little dragon hanging around Lily's neck. "He kept saying that he couldn't let it be destroyed… as if that was what we were planning."

"He really wants it back," said Lily quietly. "He just has this unhealthy obsession with it, almost like he's soulbound to it."

Hermione nodded. They stood in silence for a moment, then Hermione asked Lily what she was thinking about. In response, Lily described Kreacher's behavior at Harry's grave. "He seemed to think he was still magically bound to Dad. 'Why does Master not release Kreacher, Kreacher does not want to be bound to a dead master.' Can you explain that?"

Hermione was staring at her, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"I… cannot," shea dmitted. "Even an elf as old and senile as Kreacher would know when he is bound to a new master. Magic binds them to a wizard or witch, and they are fully aware of when they are passed to another. Kreacher shouldn't feel bound to Harry at all. He should have passed to you."

"I gathered that," said Lily, "but if it is true…"

"… and it shouldn't be," said Hermione.

"…then it would certainly explain why it took so long for Kreacher to come here."

"Hypothetically, if he is still somehow bound to Harry, then he could only have come here on Harry's orders," Hermione said.

They remained in silent for a moment longer, then Lily shook her head. "This is even better than anything Luna ever thought up."

Hermione did not laugh. She didn't even appear to hear Lily. She was staring out the window, again deep in thought. It was very quiet for a moment, before Hermione dried the sauce pan she ahd just washed and said, "Why don't you let me finish and go read or something? It's almost time for bed anyway. It's time for _me_ to go to bed."

Lily nodded, and obediently quitted the kitchen.

********

"_You're sure of this?"_

"_I have no doubt."_

"_That will undoubtedly interest the Dark Lord. Where is the girl?"_

"_Hidden by the Order. The spy thinks she's with the Partisans."_

"_All the more reason to find the Order's headquarters."_

"_He's working on it. I'm sure we'll have them soon."_

********

**It's unforgivable, I know. I haven't updated this story for months; but I've been caught up in other things. **

**Though I hardly deserve it, please leave reviews!**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Silver strands were swirling in the basin.

_George Weasley almost broke down the door at Grimmauld Place that night in his desperation. His shouts echoed downt he hallway, waking Mrs. Black, and her screams began. _

"_Filth! Mudbloods! Get ouf of this house! How dare you sully the house of my fathers!"_

_A nineteen-year-old Ginny Weasley ran down the hallway, drawing her wand. _

"_Stupefy!" she shouted, and Mrs. Black slumped in her portrait, unconscious, at exactly the moment that Lupin and George burst through the opposite door. _

"_They've killed Rufus Scrimgeour!" shouted George. "And they're storming the Ministry!"_

"_But Dad and Percy are there!" Ginny cried as Fred ran in from the kitchen in response to George's words. _

"_We've got to help them!" he said. "George, we're getting them out of there."_

The strands swirled more quickly, and the scene changed.

_Molly Weasley's wails pierced the kitchen walls as Aberforth Dumbledore approached, and his heart sank as he realized what must have happened. He opened the kitchen door to see her at the table, sobbing out her despair. Ginny was at her side with her arms around her shoulders, her eyes red, and her hair disheveled. Fred and George stood nearby, their clothes torn, their faces pale under the bruises they had recently received. Fred had a bleeding gash running from his temple down his cheek, but he hardly seemed to notice it. Both were covered with blood. _

"_He got the Ministry then." It wasn't a question, but a statement that Aberforth made in a low, serious voice. _

_Fred nodded, unable to speak. Aberforth looked around at the three simblings and their mother. _

"_Who was it?" he asked, his voice wavering. _

"_Dad, Percy, and Bill," George answered in a choked voice. _

_Aberforth lowered his head solemnly. Mrs. Weasley's cries grew louder and more desperate, and Ginny buried her face in her mother's shoulder. Nodding to the twins, Aberforth quitted the room to leave the family in peace. _

The scene faded out, and Aberforth leaned back in his chair sadly. The day the Ministry of Magic had fallen was painful to every quarter; seeing it anew brought back the waves of despair that had rippled through everyone. But there was still work to be done, and he added a new strand.

* * *

It had been two months since Lily Potter discovered him in the cemetery, and the elderly house-elf still had no answers. For what must have been the fiftieth time since his return to Goblynsrefuge, he made his way to the cemetery, to the gravestone of his master, hoping to be given an answer, and to be finally released to the daughter.

It was why Kreacher had returned there. He'd wandered across Britain and Europe for sixteen years, terrified of the Death Eaters, and broken because of his dead master, driven insane by his magical binding to Harry Potter. When he learned that the Partisans survived, however, he finally worked up the will to find any sign of his master, and if not, why the binding still existed.

But for naught; he stood there for several hours, begging, sobbing, muttering, but his dead master gave no answers. Eventually the sun began to set and Kreacher remembered that it soon would be time to help Hermione make dinner, so he quitted the cemetery.

He stepped out just as the goblin, Captain Rok Grimrook, led the red-haired twins down the path to the Heads' cabin, and Kreacher followed them.

Ten minutes later, Fred and George Weasley were shown into the cabin and into Hermione's office. Kreacher felt rather privileged to be preparing his master's daughter's food without Hermione's assistance this time, and he wandered into the kitchen to start boiling the water.

He had just finished making the noodles when a loud alarm blared outside, and shortly afterwards Fred and George came back down the stairs, followed closely by Grimrook, Ron, and Hermione, and he listened closely, wondering what had happened to cause the Partisans to sound the island alarm.

"When are they arriving?" he heard Hermione ask urgently.

"Hopefully they'll all be here by morning," George answered. "Grimrook, is it possible for the Forest Guard to keep all the junior Order members watched? We need to find the git that betrayed us."

Grimrook nodded. "Of course. They'll all be kept under close scrutiny, and believe me, they will not be allowed to approach the harbor or the stone ring."

Fred nodded. "Thank you."

Kreacher stared. He didn't know the Weasleys very well, save Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the past, but he knew that it was a rarity to see Fred and George Weasley so serious.

"By morning?" repeated Ron, looking horrified.

"Be prepared for a long night, little bro," Fred told him. "And say hello to Lily for us. Tell her that we've got more methods of eavesdropping if she needs them."

Ron scowled as the twins departed, and Kreacher returned to the noodles. So, his master's enemies had broken through the Order's defenses, and they had to flee to Goblynsrefuge before the Death Eaters discovered the only way to approach the island.

* * *

"_What are we going to do?" asked Lupin, his eyes fixed on Aberforth. Tonks was at his side, her hair slowly turning black, and the blood draining from her face, making her look like a goth. _

"_We can hardly operate here with Voldemort running Britain now," said Tonks. Aberforth nodded sadly to the truth of her statement._

"_We need to relocate," he said tiredly. _

"_Where to? The only places as protected as Grimmauld Place were Hogwarts, which was taken over with the Ministry, and Gringotts, which the goblins have just closed."_

_Aberforth ran his fingers through his gray hair, thinking hard. "There is a place," he said slowly, "which Albus enchanted himself many years ago…"_

_Lupin and Tonks stared. _

"_Where?" asked the former. _

"_It's in Germany," Aberforth said hesitantly. "Al and I used to hide out there when we were fighting Grindelwald. Even Grindelwald never found it, so I hardly think that Voldemort would, and since it is on the continent… I think it would be safer and more practical to operate outside of Britain. Perhaps we could speak to foreign Ministries, and try to gain their support."_

_Lupin nodded, and Tonks stood to inform the other senior members._

Aberforth stepped away from the Pensieve and sighed. That was nineteen years ago. For nineteen years, the Order of the Phoenix had operated in Albus's old hideout, and now they were going to have to relocate again. Two months ago he, Lupin, and Kingsley had discovered that someone had betrayed the Order. One day ago, the location of the Order was stolen.

He had written it on a card which he had planned to give to Hans-Wilhelm Gutenberg, the German Minister of Magic. In the few minutes that he and Lupin got ready to leave for Berlin, the card disappeared from his desk, and when Aberforth tried to summon it, nothing happened. There was nothing to conclude except that the spy had taken it; within a few hours, the Death Eaters would be able to break through the Fidelius Charm.

They would take no risks. The Order had to leave the hiding place immediately; after quick plans were made, Lupin departed to Berlin with a Portring to Goblynsrefuge instead, where the Order was to temporarily stay until new headquarters could be found.

It was done quickly and without hesitation. Fred and George had gone to Goblynsrefuge to inform the Partisans what was going on, and then they returned to help Tonks get all the members out of the hideout. Fred returned briefly to inform Aberforth that Lupin had arrived at Goblynsrefuge, then left with the box of Portrings. They would leave nothing behind, no chance for the Death Eaters to reach Goblynsrefuge as well.

And now Aberforth remained behind at Albus's old Pensieve, sifting through the memories, trying to remember. He had already gone through all the recent memories in search of something out of place, trying to figure out who betrayed them.

He got no answers. For this, the Partisans informed him that they would not allow a single member of the Order to depart from Goblynsrefuge until the traitor was found. All the junior members were to be closely watched, and all the senior members were to be kept under top security.

He had to admit, there was no place better to hide than Goblynsrefuge, and no place better to trap someone; it was almost as impossible to escape from the Partisan headquarters as it was to find them.

There was a loud bang from downstairs. Silently, Aberforth drew up the memories and placed them into glass phials. He put these in his bag, then he carefully put the Pensieve in its case and took hold of the handle.

He slipped the Portring onto his finger and felt the jerk behind his naval at exactly the moment that two Death Eaters burst into the room, and was gone.

* * *

Sleep was not something to come by the night Fred and George turned up to inform Ron and Hermione that the Order was relocating. Lily had spent the night helping the senior Order find rooms in the Tower, putting sheets on the beds, helped, of course, by Kreacher, who made himself useful by cleaning out the rooms. Grobschmied was out the entire night, doubling security and preparing the other goblins for any possible struggles. Ron and Dobby, on the other hand, ended up running around like chickens with their heads cut off, in search of places for the rest of the Order to stay, even after Lupin said that the Order would be happy to stay in tents outside if they must.

Hermione, meanwhile, stayed in the cabin and did what she could to enlarge the sitting room and the kitchen, helped by Fred and George and by goblin elders who knew the island's enchantments back to front.

By the time the sun rose, tempers were running high, and Grobschmied finally collapsed on a couch and remained motionless. Hermione, her eyes sunken, gave him a sleeping draught, and then Ron burst in throught he door and pounded the table, his face an odd gray color, and started complaining loudly about Aberforth and incompetence. In response, Lupin had snapped at Ron angrily, and the two of them started yelling at each other until George steered Lupin into an armchair and Hermione led Ron upstairs to the bedroom to cool down and get some sleep.

Dobby entered the room a few minutes later, almost in tears, and he curled up on a couch between Fred and George, the former of whom was snoring loudly, and the latter swearing. After this, Lily sat down to eat breakfast that Kreacher had prepared for her, but she had hardly taken two bites of her porridge when, without warning, she dropped off to sleep, her face narrowly missing the bowl.

This was the state which the house was in when Aberforth found them. He entered to see them all, and Lupin looked up from where he had been glaring at the ceiling, and said, "I wouldn't look for Ron right now; he's not happy with you."

"That's to be expected," sighed the other. "What about Hermione?"

"Comforting Ron, I expect," grumbled Lupin. "And as you can see, Grobschmied and Dobby aren't exactly available for discussion."

"What about Firenze?" asked Aberforth.

"Don't know where he is exactly. He went off into the island forest to talk to the centaurs," George informed him. "He hasn't come back yet."

Aberforth grunted, and a minute later Hermione came back down the stairs.

"Oh," she said when she saw Aberforth. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," he answered.

"And the Order headquarters?" she asked.

"Taken," he said flatly. Hermione nodded sadly.

"The weren't going to wait to get it," she said softly. "Have you found out who betrayed you?"

Aberforth shook his head. "Nor can I think of a place to permanently relocate to, but even if I had, that is out of the question until we find the double crosser."

Hermione nodded again, then she asked him to put off discussing this until everybody had some time to sleep. Aberforth agreed, and Hermione went upstairs to bed.

Ron and Grobschmied were still feeling resentful toward Aberforth that evening, even after they had all slept and Firenze returned from the forest. But when Aberforth suggested eating dinner in the sitting room where they could discuss the latest happenings, they had no objection, and nodded curtly.

Much to her delight, Lily was allowed to attend this meeting, and she sat between Hermione and Dobby on the couches, across the room from where Ron, Fred, and George sat on the other couch. On the third couch which Hermione had put into the enlarged sitting room sat Lupin and Tonks, and Grobschmied was still half-asleep in the armchair. Firenze stood next to Aberforth by the fireplace, which was emitting the only noise apart from the noises Kreacher and another elf were making in the kitchen.

Once dinner was served, Aberforth started to speak.

"Well, the Sorcerer's Hollow, our headquarters, was taken by Death Eaters early this morning," he sadi gravely. Nobody spoke, and he turned to Lupin, Fred, and George, and asked them if everything was accounted for.

"Nothing was left behind," said Lupin. "Minister Gutenberg has a Portring here; I've explained the incident in full, and he'll arrive here himself as soon as he can sort out some problem he's got with the lawmakers in the German Ministry, probably tomorrow some time."

"Good. It's about time we got this meeting over with. Now we must get to the next items of business. Firenze, what is going on with the centaurs?"

"They're preparing themselves," the centaur told him quietly. "They'll be patrolling the roads, and they've started making armor and weapons. They're even considering laying aside their bows and arrows and using the goblins' firearms instead. If the Death Eaters get into Goblynsrefuge, they want to be the first to waylay them."

"Do you think there's a possibility of them getting here?" asked Lily. "I thought you said that you'd left nothing behind."

"No, but if there is a spy among us, and he manages to get out with Goblynsrefuge Portrings, the game will be up," said Aberforth.

"I've asked Captain Grimrook to keep a close watch on all the junior members of the Order," said Grobschmied sleepily. "He will report back to me immediately if the Forest Guard discovers something."

"And the elves?" asked Hermione.

"Also keeping a close watch on the junior members," said Dobby.

"Good." Aberforth nodded at them all, then said, "I guess we had better start talking about the situation then. I've asked Lupin to begin searching for a safe place to relocate as soon as we can, but I'm going to be spending time with Gutenberg for much of the time. He wants to speak to one of the Partisans too, if there is any among you who can act as representatives."

He looked at the Partisans, and one by one, they all looked at Grobschmied, who groaned and started to feign sleep.

"I guess that's settled then," said Aberforth simply, before adding to Grobschmied, "You won't have to be meeting with Gutenberg twenty-four seven, you know. Most likely no more than once a week."

Grobschmied merely grunted in displeasure.

"So how is the situation at present?" asked Ron.

"The Death Eaters are still mostly concentrated in Belgium and the the Netherlands, and they're still putting their efforts on France," said Fred.

"How far have they gotten by the last report?" asked Hermione.

"George just found out that they've taken control of the law enforcement in Amiens and are about to press in on Rouen," Fred answered.

"Damn," Ron growled.

"That's far too close to Paris," said Grobschmied, who stopped feigning sleep and looked at the twins urgently. "If Paris is taken, France will fall under Voldemort's control."

"And we all know the result if the French are defeated," said George, examining his spoonful of peas thoughtfully. "The least we can say is that while Voldemort has recruited some of their numbers, the French wizards are, for the most part, quite stubborn."

"They're too patriotic," Fred added, smiling slightly. "A lot of their fighters are only motivated by their belief in French superiority. They'd die rather than allow France to fall into the control of a British wizard."

"Vive de Gaulle, and all that," said George.

"Who?" asked Ron, clueless.

"French Muggle," said Fred. "Politician and war hero, had a really big nose."

"But the Death Eaters are getting relentless," said George seriously. "They've recruited enough of the French to spread heavy propaganda, just like they did in Belgium and the Netherlands. The French Ministry is doing all it can…"

He shrugged helplessly. For a while, the whole group sat in silence, until Aberforth spoke up again. "Gutenberg has spoken to the German Chancellor, who in turn has spoken to the Bundesrat and the Bundestag. The German government is doing all they can to fortify Germany's borders."

"The Chancellor told them about the Death Eaters?" Ron said incredulously. "You're telling me that the entire German Parliament knows about wizards?"

"Don't be so thick," Aberforth snapped. "The Muggle governments think that the Death Eaters are a Neo-Nazi organization. Only a few select Muggle leaders know the truth."

Grobschmied scowled. "Is there really any point in trying to hide the truth anymore?" he said angrily. "If the Death Eaters gain full control, they won't have any reason to hide the Wizarding World. Too many already know, and you're putting too much effort in trying to hide yourselves from the Muggles."

Everyone stared.

"We know your views on the matter, Grobschmied," said Aberforth exasperatedly, "but it's the real world."

"The real world, yes," Grobschmied snorted. "In that case, let's be realistic. Do you really think that things can go back to the way they were at this point? Do you think that wizards can continue lying to the rest of the world?"

Lupin cleared his throat, and Grobschmied and Aberforth both looked at him. "This is not important right now," he said quietly. "Back to the matter at hand: Gutenberg, and Germany's possible alliance."

"Minister Gutenberg, yes." Aberforth shook his head, and shot one last dirty look at Grobschmied. "I've given him Grobschmied's suggestions about the use of Muggle technology and magic, but this is not something the Muggle armies have done before… their lack of experience with wizards is their greatest weakness… and anyway, as we all know, some Blackrobe spies are already inside."

"Thankfully, they've been distracted by that knight thing, Sorcierdarmure, as the country-folk, both Muggle and wizard, have started calling him," said Lupin with a grim smile. "From what I can tell, the Blackrobes are terrified of him."

"No surprise," said Ron, before he stuffed an entire potato in his mouth.

"You still haven't found him?" asked Hermione, shooting her husband a disgusted look.

Before Lupin could answer her question, Aberforth cut across her, "Hold on, you say that the Muggles are aware of him too?"

Lupin nodded. "This wizard, whoever he is, puts no effort into hiding himself. I don't know who he is or what he wants, what side he's on (if he's picked a side), but he doesn't seem to fear Death Eaters or wizard officials, nor does he appear to hold any regard for international magical law." He paused, then added, "The German rural population in that area are getting restless, what with the Blackrobe activity and Sorcierdarmure… It's a frustrating business. And no, Hermione, I haven't found him. I've seen him a couple of times, but every attempt to approach him, and he disappears. Slippery character, that…"

The rest of the meeting consisted of agreeing on certain political courses of action that Lily found rather tedious. The others continued to eat their supper in silence as one spoke, and Grobschmied fell asleep again.

The meeting concluded, and the others got up to put their dishes away. Lily got up too, and the dragon pendant hung from her neck as she bent over to pick up her dishes. Aberforth caught sight of it.

"What's that, Lily?" he asked, pointing.

"This?" Lily took off the pendant, and showed him. Aberforth took it, and Lily was surprised to see his jaw drop and his face turn chalk white.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice low so the others wouldn't hear.

"Grimrook took it from Kreacher when he turned up," said Lily.

"Did Kreacher say where he got it?" asked Aberforth.

"No, but he really wants it back," said Lily simply. "Grobschmied doesn't want him to have it for some reason… Does it matter?"

Aberforth didn't answer. "I don't think Grobschmied knows what that pendant is, but he'll know its worth. Now could you find Kreacher? I must speak to him immediately."

Lily nodded and called the ancient elf. He was at her side in moments.

"Does Lily need something?" Kreacher asked.

"Aberforth has something to ask you," said Lily, indicating the elderly wizard. Kreacher looked, and he lifted his hand to his mouth and chewed on his fingernails as he saw the pendant in Aberforth's hand.

"What does sir want with the talisman?" he asked, his voice wavering.

"Kreacher, where did you get this?" asked Aberforth.

"Tell him the truth, Kreacher," said Lily.

Kreacher looked from her to Aberforth. "Kreacher found it."

"Is that all?" asked Aberforth disbelievingly.

"Tell him the truth," repeated Lily.

Kreacher looked at her again, and tears leaked from his eyes. "It was four years after Master died, Kreacher was afraid that he'd have to go to the filthy Death Eater, Mistress Bellatrix, so he fled after Master died," the elf whimpered. "One day, Kreacher saw Death Eaters fighting two dragons, and he saw the talisman fall to the ground while they were fighting. The dragons killed the Death Eaters and flew away, and Kreacher took the talisman."

Aberforth's eyes were very wide, and his face turned, if it was possible, even paler. "Oh my God…" he whispered.

"Aberforth?" asked Lily, staring at him. He didn't answer, but stared from Kreacher to the pendant, looking absolutely shocked. Then he gulped, and said, "Lily, I'm going to have to examine this."

"What is that pendant?" asked Lily apprehensively.

"Don't tell anyone else about it," Aberforth told her urgently. "That goes for you too, Kreacher. Anyone who does know, tell them from me, it must be kept secret."

"But what is it?" Lily demanded, now feeling positively alarmed. Aberforth shook his head, then he pocketed the pendant and hurried away to the room Lily had prepared for him that morning.

Lily looked at Kreacher, who looked back at her, his wrinkled face twisted into a mixture of anger and complete confusion.

**Sorry about the delay, folks. I try to devote some time to this when I can, but you can only set aside so many hours when you're traveling. I'm in Berlin right now, and so there will be longer gaps between chapters until some time in July, when I get home. **

**Please leave reviews. I appreciate your feedback. **


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